This is a popular subject for those of us in the writing industry. We're always writing something. Like this for instance. A blog. A post on FB or Twitter. I'm squeezing this in today between day job and breakfast. But what I've learned is not every day allows me to be flexible with the following solutions. Instead I have a new answer.
One is darker and more erotic. The other isn't erotic at all (I know you're having a hard time picturing that) but a highly romantic time travel. I find my self pulling back during the sensual scenes in one and pushing myself in the other (Can you believe it?). I've decided to divide my day into HOT and NOT in order to keep the two separate. :-D
Does anyone else have a suggestion to keep the flow going or hold it back?
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How many of you authors out there write more than one book at a time... and I mean at the creative point? I've edited one and created another in the past, but at the moment I'm writing two different books at once. For awhile I wrote on one until I reached an impasse and needed a diversion, then I wrote on the other until the same thing happened. At least they're both paranormal so I'm spending most of my time out in fantasy land. Not a bad place to be.Does anyone else have a suggestion to keep the flow going or hold it back?
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I've decided to set up an inflexible schedule with flex time. The flex time is for those issues that pop up and you have to take care of them. Tine in the morning, afternoon and evening. If no emergencies arise use it for writing.
Now I have my phone set with alarms, and one is going off now so good luck and best wishes. Let me know what you do to balance your time.
~~~Eliza
Two novels at once, or even two short stories at once, can get confusing. I tend to do it in spurts. I get bogged down on one, so I work on the other. After a while I get ideas on the first one and switch back.
ReplyDeleteBut it's not impossible. I can be reading two books at once and bouncing back and forth, so I guess this carries over to my writing.
Jim Hartley
Coming Dec 1 from MuseItUp - "The Ghost of Grover's Ridge" - http://teenangel.netfirms.com
I happen to be writing two right now as well, one is a futuristic sequel to "SPIRALS" and one is a contemporary romance novella. I find myself focusing on one or the other through out the day and work on it. Sometimes I just ignore them both. This is a challenge for me since I've never diverted my writing time. Lately, I have the novella close to being done and I'm anxious to finish it, so I've been concentrating more on that. Good luck with your two, Eliza!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm doing the same thing - three at once. Was two, now three. One is a paranormal, one is a post-apocalyptic, and one is a sequel to Captured. Honestly, it gets kind of crazy. I keep all minimized and with my new Windows - it's great. I can bounce from one to the other depending upon my mood or what scene pops into my head. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI do what you do when writing two books at once--work on one until I reach a certain point and then switch to the other one. This process works for me because sometimes I have to let a story sit for a little while and go back to it later. I can focus on a different story in between.
ReplyDeleteI think when you work on each story, you need to somehow put yourself into a different frame of mind so as not to confuse the two. Not sure if that helps you or not with your problem on erotic and non-erotic. I can see how it can be confusing though.
kelleyheckart.com
Thanks Beth. It's the anxiety over taking the time. I feel like nothing is getting done because I'm doing the two. So I started keeping a record of my daily word count to make me feel better and nag me to make me keep going. I actually love both of these stories and since neither is a full-length novel, I can at least see the light at the end of the tunnel. LOL
ReplyDeleteHi Julia, one of mine is a sequel too. I'm writing the second book in the Enchanted Mountain series, the erotic sequel to The Lion, The Leopard, and The Wolf. It's a menage (surprise, surprise)The other is a light paranormal romantic time-travel story I'm crazy about with druids and witches and magical curses. I'm working out my sexual frustations out in the one while writing the other. LOL
ReplyDeleteKelly, I appreciate the advice. I agree the world building is slightly different and character development is a challenge from one to the other. At least both are in different stages of completion. I have a rough synopsis on both, but one story is twice as developed as the other. Your website looks awesome! :D
ReplyDeleteI'm currently working on two stories simultaneously and I'm researching a third. Since I write in scenes as they come to me (not sequentially from the beginning to the end of a story,) I don't have any trouble writing on whichever story happens to be "talking" to me at the moment. Plus, I agree with what some others have said in that writing on more than one story at a time allows the creative flexibility to leave one story when you're creatively blocked to work on the other.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Eliza... I'm actually working on 3 stories right now... well, no... I'm finishing up some stories contracted and in need of editing... and subbing new stuff... but before I had these demands, I was writing 3 stories at once. I do tend to write until I hit a sticking point then jump over to another story. Sometimes the sticking point never happens and I finish a ms in a short span of time. I love it when that happens.
ReplyDeleteKaye, I never thought I wrote scenes like that but I find myself doing it more and more. I visualize a scene from my synopsis and focus on that and tying it in. And I agree if one has you stumped there's always someplace else to go. Thanks for stopping by and sharing.
ReplyDeleteEliza ;D
Catherine, are all the manuscripts you're working on in the same genre? I know you write paranormal and fantasy - sometimes way hot! Anything else we should know? Eliza
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